Resources for International Cooperation

  • Evaluation
    • MSW management
      • GDP in Japan has more than double in the last two decades, whereas emissions of conventional air pollutants have decreased and ambient levels have fallen or remained relatively stable. Over the same period, fossil fuel supply increased by 41%. This represents a decoupling of the level of economic activity from emissions of conventional air pollutants.
      • This remarkable achievement was largely accomplished through: i) air pollution abatement and control policies, which prompted the development and use of pollution prevention and control equipment relating to improved combustion technology, fuel quality and exhaust gas treatment; ii) changes in the structure of the national economy, away from heavy and polluting industries (e.g. iron and steel); and iii) changes in the energy supply, with improvements in energy efficiency and come diversification of supply away from fossil fuels and towards hydropower and nuclear energy.
      • Environmental policies o air pollution prompted important technological progress in, for instance, the areas of desulphurization, denitrification and car exhaust control. The cost for enterprises was significant, but not unduly excessive considering that this work contributed to the development of exports of environmental technology, and considering the avoided damage.
      • A number of problem areas remain, however, calling for continued efforts and new initiatives. Progress in meeting EQS has been offset, particularly in metropolitan areas, by increasing transportation demands. Progress could be made through better traffic management, measures concerning diesel vehicles and strategies on fine particulates and photochemical oxidants.
      • Japan's air pollution monitoring network is probably the most sophisticated to be found in OECD countries. Nevertheless, monitoring of hazardous air pollutants such as carcinogens (e.g. benzene) and persistent and bioaccumulative substances (e.g. dioxin and heavy metals) needs to be developed, and related information made available.
    • Industrial waste management
      • Japan is making strong efforts to reduce generation of industrial waste and to manage the waste generated in an environmentally sound manner. Increases in industrial waste generation were kept well below real GDP growth in the late 1980s. Rules for potentially harmful waste (special waste) were upgraded considerably in 1992. On the whole, performance in this area has been good.
      • Yet some points of concern exist. For example, until 1993 data on industrial waste were reported only every five years, and data concerning quantities of hazardous waste generated and its disposal are totally absent.
      • Moreover, despite the new manifest system to track special waste, the centralized collection and analysis of the data on the manifests, routinely done in other OECD countries, has not been implemented, though it is being, though it is being considered.
      • Some technical definitional progress could be achieved by removing agricultural waste from the category of industrial waste, and by using industrial waste generation per unit of product output as the standard reporting unit for firms.
      • Soil contamination from industrial waste could be reduced through a more systematic approach and analysis.
  • Recommendations
    • Wider use of economic instruments (e.g. user charges, deposit-refund) could help ensure that each consumer and firm is well aware that generating waste means high and increasing costs of collection, treatment and disposal.
    • Systematic monitoring of closed and operating landfill sites for leaks and soil pollution should be carried out periodically; the analysis of inspectorate reports concerning on-site disposal should be centralised to help ensure that all enterprises dispose of industrial waste properly.
    • Recently adopted regulations should be fully implemented to ensure that hospital waste, especially infectious waste, is properly managed.
    • The reduction of waste generation should receive greater attention, including the adoption of a long-term strategy of technology innovation and public education. This could include information to consumers and producers, and education of children.